Athlete

Rating:
Summary: a perfect 10
Review: As a broken-down athlete, as a live-long sports fan, and as a collector of photography, Howard Schatz has led me to a completely new window through which to view these varied and remarkable competitors and, by extension, a greater awareness of the human character, potential and spirit. Through his lens, we see the indomitable discipline and will to achieve with the undeniable beauty of form, action and individual expression. There is an almost Greek-like reference to the human ideal, but Mr. Schatz takes us above and beyond the past. He shares with us examples of achievement through certain athletes that, on quick glance, might not be appreciated at the periphery on the fields of competition, and life. Moreover, Mr. Schatz suggests deeper, universal human aspirations and character available to us all. Well, enough of these NY Times-like review. I mean every word of it but I conclude by simply saying, enthusiastically, "Wow. " This is powerful and beautiful and moving stuff. Alan Davis, MD Dallas, Texas

Rating:
Summary: oh please....
Review: Clearly the writer of the previous review has an ideological---not aesthetic---agenda. I wish people like him would solve their own personality problems and stop venting on public forums such as the Amazon review board. It's misleading at best and malicious at worst. Schatz's book, far from portraying African-American men in a stereotyped or racist fashion, celebrates the beauty of the body and the extraordinary achievements that these world-class athletes have attained.

Rating:
Summary: A Visionary
Review: Clearly, photographer Howard Schatz sees the world differently than the average person does. His personal vision makes ATHLETE a fascinating book. He has put leading athletes into poses--some of which only can make the reader wonder how he even achieved these effects--that showcase their physical strengths as well as his own genius as a photographer.

These are beautiful bodies, to be sure, and Schatz so successfully has objectified many of these athletes that it seems certain that some of them did not recognized themselves in the finished photographs. The pictures must be seen, as words do not do them justice, not even those famous "1000 words" that a picture is said to be worth.

This book will appeal to anyone who admires the art of photography, and it also will interest anyone who has a love of sports.

Rating:
Summary: A Visionary
Review: Clearly, photographer Howard Schatz sees the world differently than the average person does. His personal vision makes ATHLETE a fascinating book. He has put leading athletes into poses--some of which only can make the reader wonder how he even achieved these effects--that showcase their physical strengths as well as his own genius as a photographer.

These are beautiful bodies, to be sure, and Schatz so successfully has objectified many of these athletes that it seems certain that some of them did not recognized themselves in the finished photographs. The pictures must be seen, as words do not do them justice, not even those famous "1000 words" that a picture is said to be worth.

This book will appeal to anyone who admires the art of photography, and it also will interest anyone who has a love of sports.

Rating:
Summary: BEST BODS in the BUSINESS
Review: I just LOVE those oily, muscular female babes!!

Rating:
Summary: Maplethorpe Anyone?
Review: I think that it is time those African American men in general, and African American male athletes in particular begin to understand how exploitive society is of their seemingly innate misunderstanding of spectacle. The athletes represented in this current catalog of fetishized "black" bodies, does nothing more but create a deeper, wider and more fragile chasm for African American boys and men to line themselves up around as they wait for the next wave of desperation to overcome their sense of self. In their desire to fit into a culture that does not value them, African American boys and men can only aspire to occupy those positions in society where the dominant group allows for trangressive behavior of a disposable commodity. By allowing themselves to be photographed performing the scripts that are deemed acceptable, these African American male "Athlete(s)" do more harm than good. Would it be possible to show the humanity, intellect and/or demonstrated non entertainment abilities of each individual, as opposed to trying to portray some aspect of their cultivated authenticity?
Some would say that these "Athlete(s)" are demonstrating their intellect, resistance and culture in how they perform. And yet, there are those individuals, most of which I am in full agreement with, recognize that the cost of portraying the ideal African American male as presented in this catalog, emphasizes that which has been emblematic of the African American presence on the North American continent since the founding of the country. The fact that the body is emphasized today as much as it was in century's past(s), leads one to believe that there has been but a small degree of epidermal change that cannot influence the skeleton infrastructure that it covers.

Rating:
Summary: Schatz has done it again!
Review: It's hard to believe it but I think that Schatz has outdone himself here with Athlete.

With Nude, he showed incredible creativity with the naked body. In my opinion, Athlete is the most remarkable presentation of the athletic body ever done. The juxtaposition of all of the body types and Schatz's ability to portray the beauty and grace of both athletes in action as well as capturing their personalities is fantastic!

Anyone who loves photography, Schatz's work and athletes will love his latest work.